Embraer Legacy 450

The Embraer Legacy 450 is a midsize business jet and the shorter version of the Legacy 500. The cabin of the Legacy 450 measures 7.32 m in length, 1.83 m in height and 2.08 m in width, and the floor stays flat from the galley to the toilet, with no dropped aisle. The aircraft has fly-by-wire controls with sidesticks, a system taken from airliners, and always flies with two pilots.

From European hubs the type works best for four to seven people on legs of one and a half to five hours:

• a day of meetings with a return in the evening, such as London Farnborough - Geneva (1:27 h)
• golf and beach weeks with full baggage: Paris - Palma, Zurich - Malaga, Amsterdam - Faro
• long non-stop legs to the Canary Islands, Morocco and Iceland, and from Cyprus to Dubai

A cabin you can stand in, with seats that turn into beds

In the Legacy 450 the most common layout starts with a club group of four, two pairs of chairs facing each other, followed by two or three single seats; some aircraft have a side seat or a two-seat divan instead. The chairs swivel, slide and recline, and two facing chairs form a flat bed. On a late return from Tenerife two people can sleep lying flat while the others rest in reclined seats.

Wi-Fi depends on the aircraft. The Gogo system fitted to some jets works only over North America, so over Europe a connection needs Ka-band satellite equipment, and not every aircraft has it. At 2.08 m the cabin is wider than in the Citation Latitude (1.96 m) but narrower than in the Challenger 350. The interior was designed with BMW Group DesignworksUSA.

Baggage: 4.25 m³ in two compartments

For a midsize jet the Legacy 450 has a lot of space. With seven passengers everyone can bring a large suitcase and a cabin bag, and a coat or a bag with medicines can go in the internal compartment and be fetched during the flight.

• Four or five people: room for several pairs of skis, snowboards or golf bags
• A full cabin with sports equipment: give the number and size, and the operator confirms the space
• London - Tenerife or Larnaca - Dubai with full tanks: weight can become the limit, so the operator may ask for exact figures

Speed, range and runways

Two Honeywell HTF7500E turbofans power the Legacy 450. Embraer quotes the range at economy cruise with NBAA IFR reserves and an alternate airport 370 km away. The earliest aircraft were delivered with less range and reach the quoted figure only after a modification, which the operator confirms for the specific jet.

At the maximum take-off weight of 16,220 kg the Legacy 450 needs 1,191 m to take off and 637 m to land. That opens shorter runways:

What matters for a midsize jet in Europe

Legacy 450 flights from European hubs

The table lists thirty-two one-way Legacy 450 flights from all thirteen hubs, from Frankfurt - Samedan (1:00 h) to Vienna - Dubai (5:52 h), all without a stop. Most take two to four hours, where the flat-floor cabin and the large hold pay off against a light jet.

Prices are for the whole aircraft one way with crew, without airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time is the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach, at the type's planning speed.

Up to two hours: meetings, the Riviera and the islands

Two to four hours: Iberia, the Aegean and North Africa

Over four hours: the Canary Islands and the Gulf

Choose the route and the number of passengers, and the calculator shows an indicative price for the Legacy 450 or another midsize jet.

Legacy 450 charter price

The Legacy 450 rate starts at EUR 4,800 per flight hour for the whole aircraft with two pilots and fuel. On a one-hour leg the price is well above rate times flight time: Paris - Geneva takes 1:01 h and costs from EUR 11,000, because positioning, the operator's minimum charge and handling weigh the same on a short flight as on a long one.

On legs of two to four hours these fixed costs matter less. London Farnborough - Ibiza (2:16 h) costs from EUR 17,000 and London - Tenerife (4:10 h) from EUR 26,000. The longest row, Vienna - Dubai (5:52 h, from EUR 32,000), is priced on the long-haul rate, which takes into account the crew's rest at the destination or the aircraft's way back. The number of passengers does not change the price.

London Farnborough - Ibiza for the whole aircraft, split between the passengers, before taxes and airport fees:

How to pay less for the jet

• Return on the same day when the crew's duty time allows: no hotel and no second positioning
• Ask for the Legacy 450, Praetor 500 and Legacy 500 together, as the cabins are alike and the closest aircraft is often the cheapest
• Keep the departure time flexible, so that an aircraft finishing a trip nearby can take the flight
• For four people on legs under two hours, compare with a light jet such as the Phenom 300

For a return after a week, compare two one-way quotes with a quote where the aircraft waits for you. Shared flights with strangers are rare on this type, so an Empty Leg is the more realistic saving.

Empty Legs on this type

Empty Legs on the Legacy 450 are less frequent than on the Challenger 350 or the Citation XLS, as fewer aircraft fly in Europe. They appear mostly on positioning flights between business cities, the Riviera, the Balearics and the Canary Islands, and can be 30-60% below a normal charter.

Legacy 450 or another midsize jet

Clients who consider the Legacy 450 usually compare it with the longer Legacy 500, the Challenger 350, the Citation Latitude and the smaller Phenom 300. The Praetor 500 has the same cabin with more range.

How to book

Write in the request:

• departure, destination, date and preferred time, and if you return the same day
• number of passengers and suitcases, with skis, golf bags or a dog
• beds, a hot meal, a flight attendant or Wi-Fi if you need them, as these vary from aircraft to aircraft

We check free Legacy 450 aircraft with operators holding an AOC and send a quote with the version, layout and price including positioning. Within Schengen there is no passport control, but the operator still needs each passenger's passport or ID; EU citizens flying to the UK need an ETA.

Embraer Legacy 450: questions and answers

• • How much does a Legacy 450 flight cost?

  • From EUR 4,800 per flight hour. In the table Paris - Palma costs from EUR 15,000, London Farnborough - Marrakesh from EUR 22,000 and Geneva - Tenerife from EUR 26,000 for the whole aircraft one way. Airport fees and passenger taxes are added.

• • What does the price include, and what is extra?

  • The aircraft, two pilots and fuel are included. Airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering, a flight attendant, winter de-icing and, for a return days later, crew hotel or empty legs are added in the quote.

• • Why does a one-hour flight cost so much?

  • Positioning, the minimum charge and airport fees are the same for a short hop as for a long leg. Paris - Geneva (1:01 h) costs from EUR 11,000, while London - Ibiza, more than twice as long, is from EUR 17,000.

• • How can I fly the Legacy 450 for less?

  • Return the same day if the crew's hours allow, keep the time flexible and ask us to check the Praetor 500 and Legacy 500 at the same time. Empty Legs give the largest saving if your dates are open.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the Legacy 450?

  • Sometimes, mostly between business cities, the Riviera, the Balearics and the Canary Islands. They can be 30-60% cheaper, but the date and route are fixed. Send your route and a date window to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • How many passengers fit?

  • A typical Legacy 450 has seven standard seats, up to nine with a divan and a belted toilet. For a night flight four to six is more comfortable, so that two people can sleep flat.

• • Can I stand up in the cabin?

  • Yes. The cabin is 1.83 m high over a flat floor, so most adults walk upright, including to the toilet at the rear.

• • How far does the Legacy 450 fly without a stop?

  • Embraer quotes 5,378 km with four passengers. That covers London - Tenerife (4:10 h) and Larnaca - Dubai (3:28 h); New York needs a stop.

• • Can we bring skis, golf bags or a dog?

  • Yes. With four or five passengers the 4.25 m³ usually takes several pairs of skis or golf bags; give the number in the request. A dog flies in the cabin once the operator has agreed.

• • Can the jet land at London City or Samedan?

  • London City only with the steep-approach modification and an approved operator; otherwise Farnborough, Biggin Hill or Luton. Samedan yes, with a crew trained for the airport, and instrument approaches there are possible only in daylight.